A few days ago I wrote about the passage from Luke 9:
24 For whoever wishes to save his [n]life will lose it, but whoever loses his [o]life for My sake, he is the one who will save it.

Talking about the cost of being a follower of Jesus, which is tough enough to swallow, then today I read Acts 5:40-42
40 They [a]took his advice; and after calling the apostles in, they flogged them and ordered them not to[b]speak in the name of Jesus, and then released them. 41 So they went on their way from the presence of the[c]Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name. 42 And every day, in the temple and [d]from house to house, they [e]kept right on teaching and [f]preaching Jesus as the [g]Christ.

Now its one thing to accept that being a follower may cost me some things that I value here on earth, maybe some friends or family, items/comforts, or quite possibly my life but to do it with a smile on my face now that is rough. In this passage in Acts not only did they take a beating for being obedient to Christ but in verse 41 it says they went away rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name.
That was convicting, last week I wrote about taking up my cross daily, but to me this passage was talking about not only taking up my cross but that attitude in which I do it. "Alright Jesus I'm suffering for you time to for you to bless me," seems a little more up my attitude alley. Not the apostles, they rejoiced that they had been considered worthy to suffer (which was by flogging, google that term) for His name. Not their name or their recognition but HIS NAME!! The Name above all Names, our Savior, King of Kings, Lord of Lords.

I envy the way the apostles viewed Jesus.

Eric House